Chapter 2272: Compass Sutra

武侠仙侠

Inside the cave dwelling, Qin Sang, now awake again, gazed at the desolate incense burner before him, lost in deep thought.

These two recent encounters indicated that more and more people were discovering the problem.

Another detail not to be overlooked was that despite delaying himself to eliminate Kun Dao Jingzhen as a competitor, his speed to the divine mountain was still not slow. Yet, twice in a row, people had already destroyed the demonic shadow and ambushed him before the divine mountain, moving faster than him.

If these people's demonic shadows were very weak, they should have met long ago. Could it be that the power of the demonic shadows was gradually weakening?

Alternatively, these individuals possessed trump cards that allowed them to quickly eradicate demonic shadows.

This situation shouldn't be widespread. Qin Sang's mind quickly flashed through a few faces, such as the Feathered Race Prince, the Merfolk Queen, and Xi Rui, among others.

Their numbers shouldn't be too large, but undoubtedly, they were all formidable future adversaries!

It was foreseeable that once Qin Sang's whereabouts were exposed, he would become a target for all. Regardless of their differing stances, they would first unite to deal with him. However, Qin Sang couldn't personally intervene to defeat them one by one before they united, as he couldn't reveal his identity. He needed the mysterious azure luan to help him find Liuli. The Minor Azure Luan divine ability, transmitted by the mysterious azure luan, was more than enough to handle others, but killing these few individuals would likely be difficult.

"It seems now that I can only try my best to clip their wings!"

Qin Sang's eyes flickered. He would still need to utilize the mysterious azure luan to help him eliminate enemies later.

"You're awake..."

The voice of the mysterious azure luan came just then.

Qin Sang "hmm"-ed, and calmly said, "Senior, has the interval shortened again?"

Receiving an affirmative answer, Qin Sang was not surprised. He fabricated his previous experience to get by, then shifted the topic to the next appearance of the ultimate treasure.

"Junior was a bit overconfident and almost exposed myself. Fortunately, thanks to this divine ability you imparted, but..."

Qin Sang feigned hesitation, "After several battles, I observed from the sidelines that these otherworldly demons also have factions, varying degrees of closeness, and they even form alliances, with helpers by their side. With Senior's assistance, I believe my strength ranks among the best of these demons, but I'm fighting alone. I'm afraid there might be an unexpected turn during the final struggle for the ultimate treasure, leaving me isolated and without support."

He attempted to use these reasons to extract more potential from the mysterious azure luan.

Qin Sang had always been fixated on the azure luan clan's sacred artifact and didn't want to give up, but there was only a slim chance if the mysterious azure luan was willing to help him. Qin Sang made no secret of his intentions, as his demands were reasonable.

The mysterious azure luan fell silent, seemingly in thought. Qin Sang quietly awaited its reply, his heart filled with silent anticipation.

"Sacred artifact... hope is extremely slim... it will only waste time..."

The mysterious azure luan's very first words made Qin Sang's heart sink.

However, its tone suggested there might still be a glimmer of hope, so Qin Sang patiently waited for it to continue.

"...or perhaps... I can find you some helpers... in the clan's cemetery... where the bones of our ancestors are buried... some of these bones... can be refined into bone..." A look of surprise flashed across Qin Sang's mind. The mysterious azure luan was actually telling him to dig up graves!

"It seems this one is also utterly uninhibited and lacking any moral scruples..."

Qin Sang grumbled inwardly, yet inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity.

It turned out that the azure luan clan had three ancient cemeteries. Buried within these ancient tombs were many ancestors of the azure luan clan, who had at least reached the Void Refinement stage during their lives. Like humans, azure luan clan members who reached the Void Refinement stage had no worries about lifespan. Some died under heavenly tribulation, often leaving no bones; others were killed by powerful enemies, their fate being to be skinned, dismembered, and refined into elixirs or magical artifacts.

Only a minority of deceased azure luan clan experts were able to leave behind complete corpses. These were generally buried in ancient tombs, guarded by high-ranking clan members, to prevent ill-intentioned individuals from grave robbing or desecrating the ancestors.

The mysterious azure luan claimed that within these ancient tombs, there were even powerful azure luan clan members who had reached the Integration stage during their lives!

Of course, Qin Sang shouldn't even consider the Integration stage azure luan corpses; they would undoubtedly be under strict clan protection. Even without guardians, Qin Sang wouldn't be able to break through the protective arrays. The mysterious azure luan's target was the newest of the three ancient tombs, whose guarding power was far less than the other two. With the current chaos in the world, there should be an opportune moment. If the bones of the azure luan clan ancestors could be stolen, they could be refined into bone luan. According to the mysterious azure luan's description, bone luan felt no pain and feared no death. If handled properly, they could even surpass their cultivation level in life, making them excellent helpers.

The mysterious azure luan first transmitted the method for refining bone luan to Qin Sang.

After reviewing it, Qin Sang discovered that this secret art was very complete, unlike something the mysterious azure luan had just created. It seemed this entity might have refined bone luan in the past. This secret method not only utilized the path of bones but also incorporated the path of puppets and the azure luan clan's heritage. However, there was a requirement: only a member of the azure luan clan could refine bone luan, because only those of the same clan understood the abilities of the azure luan.

Coincidentally, Qin Sang had dabbled in both the path of bones and the path of puppets, and also possessed the Azure Luan Dharma Idol. The process of comprehension was very smooth, confirming that he could indeed refine bone luan.

The only difficulty was how to steal the azure luan corpses from the ancient tomb.

Regarding this, the mysterious azure luan already had a preliminary plan, advising Qin Sang not to rush but to proceed slowly.

For now, it seemed the ultimate treasure would likely be shattered several more times.

During this period, Qin Sang gathered spiritual materials and rare medicines for refining bone luan while also scouting the ancient tomb's vicinity, awaiting the opportune moment to ensure everything was foolproof. As for the spiritual materials and rare medicines, Qin Sang didn't need to worry about finding them; the mysterious azure luan knew their locations and immediately sent over a list. Without further delay, the mysterious azure luan urged Qin Sang to set off at once. However, before acting, he first needed to find the stone pavilion.

"Again in demon territory..."

Qin Sang slowly opened his eyes, forcibly suppressing the backlash from the divine ability.

He had found another new stone pavilion, still located in a remote area. Without the mysterious azure luan, it would have been impossible to locate it with just the power of Yuanshan.

The good news was that a trip to the stone pavilion would then allow him to enter the heartland of the Phoenix race to search for spiritual medicines, without needing to detour.

After resting, Qin Sang rose and secretly left Mount Yuji, heading east.

With a familiar path and a clear objective, Qin Sang successfully located this stone pavilion and met the relatives of its owner.

The outcome was completely unsurprising.

The owner of the stone pavilion had passed away!

Moreover, it was five years before he awoke, due to illness.

Listening to the stone pavilion owner's relatives recount her story, Qin Sang stood before the stone pavilion for a long time before turning and leaving.

Subsequently, his figure frequently appeared in various parts of the Phoenix Clan territory. Not only the Azure Luan Clan, but other Phoenix clans and their branches also suffered. With the mysterious azure luan's intelligence and Qin Sang's own considerable strength, he repeatedly succeeded.

Spiritual materials and rare medicines were obtained one after another, but they had not yet been fully gathered when the ultimate treasure was about to appear.

"This is the third ancient tomb of the Azure Luan clan?"

Qin Sang stood on the mountaintop, gazing at the sky.

The sky was cloudless and clear.

When he activated his spiritual eyes, he could see peculiar currents constantly circulating above the ethereal void. These currents were formless, yet more massive than mountains, astonishing to behold.

He had not expected the Azure Luan clan's ancient tomb to be built in the sky!

Qin Sang observed for a while, his vision obstructed by the currents, unable to see inside.

"The three ancient tombs... all rely on natural secret realms... born from nature..."

The mysterious azure luan slowly recounted the origin of the ancient tombs, helping Qin Sang analyze the patterns of the forbidden formations there.

Qin Sang was only here for a quick look this time; stealing the azure luan corpses required thorough preparation.

After only three hours, Qin Sang left the area.

The ultimate treasure appeared.

The world transformed, and Qin Sang entered once more.

The familiar process, the familiar sights, repeated over and over. Qin Sang numbly scanned his surroundings, then headed straight for the divine mountain.

"Fewer people..."

Qin Sang flew a long distance before seeing an unfamiliar cultivator, who was even more sparsely encountered than on the previous entry.

"Oh? This one seems to be..."

Qin Sang flew over the battlefield, paused, and recognized the identity of the person below.

Below was a black-clad youth with a pair of dark, crow-like wings on his back. This person came from a noble lineage within the Feathered race, but he hailed from the Sacred Land, so the Feathered Race Prince had no authority over him.

Qin Sang remembered that during the Battle of the Divine Mountain, when Xi Rui summoned the ancestors' disciples for a discussion, this person stood beside Xi Rui, indicating a high status and presumably strong abilities.

However, at this moment, he appeared to be struggling, flustered and disheveled, against the demonic shadow.

"This person is a disciple of an alien race ancestor, and he must have trump cards, yet he's so disheveled. Could he have already used them?"

Qin Sang considered Xi Rui and others formidable enemies. Since there was an opportunity to clip their wings, he would certainly not miss it.

After observing for a moment, Qin Sang seized an opportunity. The little azure luan on his shoulder trembled, transforming into a bolt of lightning that plunged into the battlefield.

The mountains trembled, and green thunder erupted.

By the time the little azure luan flew out of the battlefield, the man was already seized by the demonic shadow amidst the dust, utterly terrified.

"It seems his trump card was indeed used," Qin Sang aided the demonic shadow, then departed with the little azure luan.

He had expected this person to struggle a bit more, but it turned out to be so easy.

Among the alien race cultivators who entered the illusion, few had backgrounds and strength surpassing this individual. If this person was so disheveled, the plight of others would only be more difficult!

"It seems my guess was correct. By repeatedly shattering the ultimate treasure and artificially prolonging the illusion, I am also unknowingly affecting them!" Although Qin Sang did not know the full truth, it was not difficult for him to deduce.

The illusion would eliminate most competitors, and with his intervention, there wouldn't be many opponents left in the end!

Realizing this, Qin Sang felt greatly assured. On his way to the divine mountain, he struck twice more, his victims being a mermaid and a disciple of an ancestor.

When Qin Sang arrived at the divine mountain, he found no traps.

This was somewhat unexpected for Qin Sang; he had thought someone would come to stop him after he was exposed.

Regardless of the Feathered Race Prince's plans, Qin Sang proceeded according to his own strategy. After sensing the changes in Daiyu Immortal Mountain, he shattered the ultimate treasure. Upon waking, Qin Sang continued to act systematically, searching for stone pavilions, collecting spiritual materials and rare medicines, and then exploring the ancient tombs.

After repeating this process twice more, Qin Sang and the mysterious azure luan finally figured out a way to infiltrate the ancient tomb!

During this process, several more alien race experts tragically fell victim to Qin Sang.

And, as expected, Qin Sang repeatedly missed Liuli's reincarnated body.

In the dim cave dwelling.

When Qin Sang woke up again, he immediately began to meditate. This time, he and the mysterious azure luan were going to attempt to enter the ancient tomb; success or failure depended on this one endeavor!

"Senior..."

After resting, Qin Sang called out to the mysterious azure luan.

The mysterious azure luan had already prepared, and immediately transmitted a divine ability to help Qin Sang locate the stone pavilion.

"Found it... as expected..."

Qin Sang sighed inwardly. Liuli had reincarnated again in a very remote place, and it seemed, like before, she had fallen into the mortal world, likely unable to obtain any immortal fate.

Even without much hope, Qin Sang decided to make the trip.

He immediately set off, traveling day and night, until he reached the location of the stone pavilion.

This pavilion was built by the lakeside.

By the lake, there was a simple dock with two dilapidated boats, which didn't look like fishing boats but rather ferry boats. One was currently sailing from the middle of the lake towards the shore, poled by an old man.

Qin Sang appeared outside the pavilion.

The fog by the lake was thick. This stone pavilion, though the newest built, was the most severely aged among all the pavilions.

The nearest village was several miles away. Qin Sang wondered why Liuli had built the pavilion here in this life.

"Oh! Young man, when did you get here? Am I seeing things?"

A shout came from the lake. The old man polling the boat to shore suddenly saw Qin Sang and was startled.

"Young man, are you going to the other side?"

The old man brought the boat over.

Qin Sang looked at the lake and asked, "How long have you been polling a boat here, old man?"

"Oh my! I can't remember, I've been doing it since I was young until now!" The old man scrutinized Qin Sang. "Young man, are you from out of town? I know all the households within dozens of miles on both banks, and I've never seen you before."

"You have good eyesight, old man!" Qin Sang nodded slightly, then pointed at the stone pavilion. "Junior passed by this place and wondered who built such a nice pavilion in this desolate wilderness?"

"It's that Qi family girl!"

The old man sighed, "That girl lost her mind. To build this pavilion, she squandered all her family's wealth and lived a lonely life, never marrying. So many suitors came, but she wouldn't look at a single one, insisting she was waiting for someone. Later, the person died, the boat sank, and only this pavilion was left. It's convenient for others though, no need to fear the rain while waiting for the boat..."

"...Oh right, back then this place was called Caotantou, but the county magistrate changed its name to Lantingdu."

Qin Sang turned his gaze to the stone pavilion and said, "Coincidentally, I'm also looking for someone."

The old man looked up at Qin Sang, thinking he was joking, and chuckled, "The Qi family girl guarded this place her whole life. How long have you been searching?"

"Several lifetimes."

Qin Sang said faintly, "Unfortunately, every time junior finds her, it's a few years late. She always leaves the mortal world before me, and I can only continue to wait for the next reincarnation."

"Haha..."

The old man laughed heartily, hands on his hips, and pointed at Qin Sang with his boathook, "Then next time you go down there, you'd better beg King Yama properly, so he can let you reincarnate together and not mess up the compass again."

"King Yama?"

Qin Sang murmured to himself.

Missing each other again and again, even the most oblivious person would notice something was amiss.

Which King Yama was preventing them from meeting, and why?

Late returning from visiting relatives, this is today's update. The compensatory update will be delayed by one day.